The Next Best Thing to Annie Liebowitz Popping By the Maternity Ward

Six hundred or so digital photos later and I couldn’t find one that was just right for the announcements. (To say nothing of the pics of me for which I should have demanded professional lighting and Vaseline over the lens.)

The baby: Perfect. My photography skills, not so much.

Oh my God, where was Bella Baby Photography when I needed them? This is such a brilliant concept – talented freelance photographers spend a little time at the hospital with you getting those first precious hours or days captured the way they should be. The shots are artful, they’re natural, and they’re beautiful.

Prices are surprisingly good with packages starting at just $45. But trust me, you’ll want the $300 platinum package including tons of poses, prints, a CD with all the images, and even a couple dozen birth announcements.

Bella Baby’s roster of photographers currently roam Chicago and Ohio, but they’re rolling out to NY, LA, and Tennessee any moment now. Let me be the first to start the petition to get these guys national. –Liz